Creating a CSV File in Notepad on Windows
Notepad creates perfectly valid CSV files — you just need to use the right save dialog options. Type your data, then **Save As**, change Save as type to **All Files**, name the file with a `.csv` extension, and pick **UTF-8** for Encoding.
Step-by-step
- Open Notepad (Start → type Notepad).
- Type your data, one row per line, fields separated by commas:
name,email,country
Ada,ada@example.com,UK
- File → Save As.
- Change Save as type from "Text Documents (*.txt)" to **All Files (*.*)**.
- Name the file
people.csv(the extension matters — without it Windows saves a.txt).
- Set Encoding to UTF-8.
- Click Save.
Double-check the extension
Windows hides known extensions by default — your file may show as people.csv but actually be people.csv.txt. In File Explorer enable View → File name extensions to see the real name.
Frequently asked questions
Will Notepad add anything weird to my file?
No — Notepad writes exactly what you type plus an optional UTF-8 BOM. Both are fine for Excel.
Can I use Notepad++ instead?
Yes — Notepad++ is better for large files and has CSV syntax highlighting plugins.